First up today we have Allistair Darling’s #PBR (coverage from the BBC), and secondly after Brian Lenihan has had time to digest the import of that, the Irish budget for 2010 goes live at 3.45… You can get coverage of that on RTE’s Live channel..
John Laird (Lord Laird of Artigarvan) is unionism’s jester. His memoir A Struggle To Be Heard ” by a True Ulster Liberal” (from Slugger’s shop on Amazon here) might serve more as a heavy stocking filler than anybody’s idea of a main present. In it he wears the masks of comedy and tragedy to turn the [...] read our review »
The words of Brian O’Nolan, variously Brian Ó Nualláin, Myles na gCopaleen, Myles na Gopaleen and, of course, Flann O’Brien. That O’Nolan was referencing his own dissolute student days at UCD only mildly distracts from the prophetic undertone of his words: I paid no attention whatsoever to books or study and regarded lectures as a [...] read our review »
Fair play to Iain, he managed to get over 2,200 people voting in his poll for the top Northern Irish blogs this year… We (just, I imagine) retained our top spot, with Splintered coming straight in at number 2, no doubt his pet subject du jour will have garnered him a lot of fans… I’ve [...] read our review »
Do you think Brian will make any adjustments after hearing Alastair? it is strange in the comments on here you hear about the north south economic links and obivous fact NI is part of the UK ecomony, what is rarely refered too is the extent the south is still closely linked in with the UK economically, possibly increasingly in the current “emergency”.
The Eurozone has enough other problems with half its smaller members, Ireland is not top of the list, so they are on their own otherwise.
I know Brians Budget will spark most of the debate and discussion online and should be fasinating! but Darlings report might have a bigger inpact on our pockets long term.
The North Must Influence the South
If you grew up hating the South and all it stood for now’s is the time to change it.
5% on the first 30G and 7.5% on the next 10 (tightens belt)
Any info on why the Judges didn’t get hit?
Republican Stones –
Separation of powers.
They are constituitionally protected. It prevents the government from controlling the judiciary by punishing them by lowering their pay.
So who then decides if the judiciary gets an increase?
Coastguard.
For those Irish language anoraiceanna out there, here’s a link to get the low down on how the budget impacts on An Ghaeilge/An Ghaeltacht.
http://igaeilge.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/an-ghaeilge-agus-an-ghaeltacht-i-mbuisead-2010/
kinda funny to hear them say why should people on the social in the boom time have to pay the price as they didnt create the problem?
they are the problem this is why the country has to borrow so much, they never created anything as they had it 2 easy for 2 long, this is why we had to bring in workers from other countrys.
the social welfare got ripped off in this country for years from people well able to work and its only coming to light now.
people who have gone to court for ripping off 60 grand are still getting payments and free legal aid, someone needs to pull the plug on this a.s.a.p